UMass Cancels Third Electronic Dance Concert

UMass Amherst has canceled two upcoming electronic dance music concerts, in light of ongoing concerns of overdoses of the drug known as ecstasy or Molly. The school previously canceled a concert earlier this month.

The drug has been linked to several recent deaths on the East Coast. UMass spokesperson Ed Blaguszewski says the school chose to cancel the two concerts despite the financial consequences.

“Well, the university will certainly not get the revenue for the events, absolutely. And we recognized that going in,” Blaguszewski says. “And the assessment was, public health and safety was paramount.”

Blaguszewski says the school doesn’t know how much it will lose from canceling the shows, but will evaluate that,

He says there are no plans to cancel additional campus events.

In a statement, the promoter of all three canceled concerts, NV Concepts, says it is “making every effort to relocate these shows,” and will “seek to be an educational resource in the prevention of drug abuse.”